LAET Receives 2014 IOLTA Grant

KNOXVILLE – The Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Bar Foundation has awarded Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) a 2014 IOLTA Program Grant.  The award, totaling $95,699, will make available additional civil legal services for low-income families in the region.

Because of U.S. Census data adjustments to the poverty population, the 2014 grant to LAET is a 22-percent increase over the IOLTA award to the agency in 2013.  The award letter stated that, “IOLTA revenue continues to decrease as a result of an unprecedented stretch of low, short-term interest rates, and the funds received must be shepherded with the utmost care.”  David R. Yoder, LAET’s Executive Director, responded by saying, “LAET is truly grateful for this increased appropriation which will allow us to help approximately 48 additional families in 2014.”

The IOLTA (Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) program was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1984, and is administered by the Tennessee Bar Foundation.  Grants are made possible from the interest earned on the pooled trust checking accounts of participating attorneys in Tennessee.  Awards are given to organizations that provide direct legal services to the poor or seek to improve the administration of justice.

For more information about the IOLTA Program, visit www.tnbarfoundation.org.  To find out more about Legal Aid of East Tennessee, visit www.laet.org, or call LAET in Knoxville (865-637-0454), Chattanooga (423-756-4013) or Johnson City (423-928-8311).

Legal Aid of East Tennessee’s mission is to ensure justice for elderly, abused, and low-income people by providing a broad scope of civil legal assistance and advocacy.  LAET serves eligible persons in 26 counties through offices in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City, Maryville, and Morristown.